Ann Arbor School Supplies

Are you looking for Ann Arbor School Supply Lists? We’ve got the details.

It’s mid-July which means Back to School ads and promotions have started and I see supplies in all the big box stores I visit. I am hearing about crazy supply lists from friends across the country. Every year, I hear new parents asking about the Ann Arbor School Supply Lists.

When my daughter was starting school I was right there with you, I was wondering when will we get the Ann Arbor Public School Supply list. And wondering if I would get it too late and have to pay full price for supplies. The good news is that there is typically no required school supply list. Some schools will issue requests.

Ann Arbor School Provided Supplies

Computer/iPad

As of the 2020-2021 school year, Ann Arbor Public Schools is a one-to-one tech district. Students will receive their own tech device. For the 2025-2026 school year, high schoolers will be receiving new MacBooks instead of the Chromebooks they previously received. The Chromebooks were originally distributed in 2020-2021 when my daughter was a freshman. Hers was definitely struggling by her senior year, let alone the kids who used them last year.

I expect they will be distributed at high school registration events or the first day of school.

Basic Classroom Supplies

In my daughter’s experience basic supplies were provided in the classroom especially at elementary levels – pencils, paper, scissors, glue, etc. These were communal materials. It also makes things easier for the teacher in some ways. One of her teachers provided color coordinated notebooks – and it was easy to say pull out your blue notebook for writing journals or your green notebook for math.

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Ann Arbor School Supply List

The good news is that there is NO required supply list* for Ann Arbor Public Schools elementary schools. They ask that you send your child with a backpack and a lunch box if they will be bringing lunch from home. Some teachers also will have a wish list for classroom supplies. (*I have heard that at some schools, particularly Lawton, the PTO sends out a requested list of supplies. Other schools are often happy to take donations.)

Some years I have reached out to my daughter’s previous teachers to offer to buy items when I see a great deal. This can be especially helpful if you pair with a friend when there are item limits.

However, back to school sales are a great time to stock up on supplies for home – crayons, markers, paper, pencils/pens, etc.

Disclosure: Ann Arbor with Kids may receive a small commission if you make a purchase from the product links below.

Backpack

No matter their age, a student needs a backpack. At lower grades it should be large enough to fit a folder and their winter snow gear – snow pants, hat, gloves, shoes, and lunch. In middle and high school, a backpack with a padded tech sleeve is a great option.

As a high school student, my daughter brought her chromebook home nightly (and used it most nights for homework). Based on my daughter’s (pre-2020) middle school experience, I expect middle schoolers will also bring their devices home most nights. Elementary students will likely bring their devices home rarely.

I have heard that some Middle Schools (particularly Scarlett) have backpack restrictions. Students are only allowed a string bag and not a traditional backpack. Across the board I would verify before purchasing any larger backpack or one with wheels.

My daughter brought her snow pants to school daily in the winter in elementary school. Even when there is not snow on the ground, they kept her warm (& somewhat dry/clean when snow starts to melt). She also brought a change of shoes for wet or snowy days so that wet boots can be left outside of the classroom to help it stay dry and cleaner.

I definitely recommend buying a quality backpack that is built to last. I’ve heard of character backpacks not lasting a school year. On the other hand, my daughter has used her Lands End backpacks and lunch box for 3+ years each. Her second one pictured below would have gone for a 4th year, but Lands End ran their backpacks 50% so she got an upgrade. That third backpack was a trooper! It lasted all of middle school, sophomore, and junior year (I’m not counting her virtual freshman year when it didn’t get used). She replaced it with a Swiss Gear backpack for senior year that is now going on its 3rd year – senior year, freshman year at UM, & soon to be sophomore year.

There are a wide range of backpack sizes. My daughter started with the Lands End small for K-2. A folder was a tight fit, but we made it work. For 3-5 she had a medium Tech Pack (pictured). For middle/high school, she had an XL Tech Pack and a zipper binder. The XL Tech Pack held her Clarinet in middle school so it was one less thing to carry. The Tech Pack also has a padded laptop slot which is great for her Chromebook.

Lunch Box

A lunch box/bag and ice pack is also helpful if your child will be bringing lunch from home. As a matched set, my daughter’s Lands End lunchbox attached to the outside of the backpack and doesn’t take up space inside the bag. Be sure to look for discount codes before you order. Also, I found Lands End customer service very helpful in telling me what color the monogram thread was in the picture. My daughter ordered a teal backpack and we weren’t sure which monogram color (yellow or chartreuse) was used in the sample (for privacy I blurred part of the monogram).

When she switched to the Swiss Gear backpack, she used a carabiner clip to attach the lunch box to the backpack.

Water Bottles

Water bottles were always encouraged in my daughter’s classes. Bottle filling stations have been added to all the AAPS buildings since 2020.

Extra Suggested Supplies

The first time we had a teacher suggest supplies was in 3rd grade. Regular pencils are provided in the classroom. At back to school night, her teacher mentioned that some kids prefer the mechanical pencils and can bring their own. My daughter has been using mechanical pencils that she brings from home since then (even in high school she dislikes pen). She likes the Pentel Twist Erase. Through high school and into college, my daughter prefers pencils to pens.

Folders

While the school supplies needed supplies, in our experience this did not include folders for transporting papers home – school work, newsletters, paperwork. It would all get shoved in her backpack with her snow pants and other gear. Children are certainly welcome to supply their own folders for transporting papers home. Personally, my daughter was happier shoving it in her backpack than taking the time to put it in a folder. But, other children may prefer their papers to be neater.

The Best Ever School Supply

My daughter’s 5th grade teacher recommended a “Deskmate” which is a storage clipboard. They had a few extra that previous students had left behind if you didn’t provide one and your child wanted to use one. These things are wonderful! I wish my daughter had one the entire time in school. They are perfect for doing homework on the go – writing surface, storing the homework, storing the pencils, etc. And as a bonus, they don’t bend in the backpack like a paper folder. (You will need a larger backpack to accommodate this. My daughter’s Medium TechPack from Lands End barely fit the deskmate.)

Where can you find this awesome product in 2025? I wish I knew. Hers was from Learning Express which has since closed. They had ones that are decorated (or can be decorated). My daughter’s (with her name digitally removed) is above.

I never thought to look at Learning Express until I saw her friends with them. She started the year with a plain gray one that I ordered from Amazon. The suggestion arrived the last day that Free Prime Shipping would get it to us for the first day of school. Before placing the order, we checked two office supply stores locally and did not find what we wanted – theirs were metal, side opening, etc. 

Zipper Binders

Zipper Binders were very popular with the middle school crowd when my daughter attended Ann Arbor Open. I am not sure they are as practical since one to one chromebooks were introduced. The binders have a handle and a shoulder strap for easy carrying. These can hold all of their class materials instead of different notebooks/folders for each class. This version from Case-It is very similar to my daughter’s. We bought hers at Meijer so that we could look at the features of each one and the exterior pattern to find the best fit for her.

They remind me of the Trapper Keepers we had when I was in middle school – except larger and with carrying straps. I am glad to see the kids switching to the binder. In college, I used a binder system for notes and it was so nice to have both notes and handouts from a class in one spot instead of a separate folder and notebook.

My daughter did still carry her backpack in addition to the binder. The backpack held her music folder, clarinet, change of shoes for winter, and other items that didn’t fit well in the binder.

Other Suggested Supplies

If you see a tri-fold presentation board on sale, I definitely recommend purchasing one. You’ll need it eventually for science fair and other projects. We reused the same board for all of elementary school by stapling colored cardstock and paper printouts. It lasted through multiple presentations most years. It finally needed replacing her last year of middle school. We upgraded to a foam board with a black background – no more cutting cardstock! I expected it to last through high school, but I don’t think she ever needed it.

School Supplies for Teachers

While my daughter attended, Ann Arbor Open started a bulletin board with teacher wish list items one year for Teacher Appreciation Week. It was such a hit with parents, that it became a permanent fixture. We also get an occasional message from the office that they are in need of items.

Some of the commonly requested items are dry erase markers, printer paper (white and color), and tissues. Personally, I frequently contributed pencil cap erasers at my daughter’s request including as her 100s day project in first grade. She had a classmate who had a tendency to snap the erasers off pencils so few classroom pencils had erasers.

School Supplies for Home Use

While there is no need to buy supplies to send to school, you will likely need some supplies at home, particularly in the upper grades. Back to School sales are a great time to stock up on school supplies to use at home. I always buy my crayons and glue sticks for the year at back to school sales. Now that my daughter is getting older (Tenth Grade), I will also be buying mechanical pencils, pens, notebooks, and other basic school supplies.

My daughter and I actually had an argument about loose leaf paper as she entered middle school. I mentioned that I should get some for this year. Her argument was that she still had some and we should wait until it was needed. I showed her the price difference between list price and Back to School sale price, so she understood why we buy at back to school sales. (Although since Chromebooks, she does her homework electronically and doesn’t use loose leaf paper).

Get Assistance with School Supplies

Technology

The district provides MacBooks, Chromebooks, and iPads to all students based on grade level. Students will benefit from having internet at home to use their devices for homework, reading, and more. Be sure to check out the AAPS Resources List for internet access if you need the internet.

Supply Drives

We’ve found a couple of school supply drives. They are early in August, so plan ahead!

Students experiencing homelessness or temporary living situations should connect with Ozone House and the Education Project.

Donate to School Supply Drives

CAN (Community Action Network)

CAN is holding a back to school supply drive so they can provide school supplies to those served by CAN. You can support by donating money, ordering from their Amazon list, or shopping from their requested supply list. Drop-Offs are at various City of Ann Arbor Buildings – Senior Center, Vets Park Pool, City Hall Customer Service Area, and Wheeler Service Center.

Ozone House/Education Project

The Education Project is a partnership between Ozone House and Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) to ensure students experiencing homelessness and temporary living situations enroll, attend, and succeed in school. Check their website for the best ways to help.

Saline Summerfest

Saline Schools and Saline Area Social Services coordinate a Stuff the Bus event as part of Saline Summerfest. Various businesses will be collecting materials starting July 14. On August 8, a bus will drive through various neighborhoods who have each been assigned a particular school supply. Be sure to check their website for participating businesses and the supply list.

Other School Drives

Some supply drives are not announced until later. If we hear about them, we will add them to the list.

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